Pyrrha And The Idiot
by SilentVex
Summary: Agent Pyrrha Nikos of the Sanctum Special Forces is informed of her latest mission: to infiltrate Beacon and confirm a report regarding one of the students entering this year. Could he really be a member of that family? It's down to her to find out.
1. Mission One: To Beacon

**Author's notes: Hello lads and lasses, Vex here with another RWBY fic!**

**So with only a few days left to go until the 29th I'm going to be writing as much as I can. My prediction? Chapter two of this one will come out sometime early December while there is a Bumblebee buzzing around in the not too distant future (if you catch my drift).**

**So this fic is based around the hidden agenda of Agent Pyrrha Nikos and is entirely plausible for my point of view given how little we've actually seen about her past. Just letting my imagination think up a back story for her in this one really. Looking over it I can imagine people having a bad reaction to this take on her... but just give it a chance, okay?  
**

**But enough of crackpot conspiracies regarding the radiant red-head! I'll let you be the judge of this by reading the story. It will only be a couple of chapters long, so pretty short. I might even leave it at the second one.  
**

**Hope you enjoy!**

**- Vex out!**

* * *

**Pyrrha and the Idiot - Mission One: To Beacon  
**

* * *

_The door slid open and the teenaged girl entered, coming to a stop in the centre of a lone light – the only source of illumination the room had to offer. Heels clicked together and hands held behind back, she was the very textbook definition of discipline, completed by a pristine black and navy blue uniform._

_She stood in silence and waited to be addressed._

_''Welcome,'' a voice greeted from within the shadows._

_''Agent Pyrrha Nikos, reporting for duty.''_

_''I've called you here because of a rather interesting piece of information we have discovered. Here take a look.'' A circular panel on the floor next to her feet opened and a small table rose. It came to a stop, nothing but a small picture occupying its flawless surface. She picked it up and examined the image. A blonde male looked back at her, an awkward grin on his face, eyes brimming with a poorly concealed nervousness._

_''And who is this meant to be?''_

_''His name is Jaune. Jaune Arc.''_

_Her head bolted up to the disembodied voice. ''Arc? As in the Lost Family of Arc?''_

_''The very same. He recently appeared as an applicant for Beacon Academy and has subsequently been accepted. Your mission is to infiltrate Beacon and confirm the validity of this report. If it is true and he is a member of the Arc family, you are to watch over him until further notice.''_

_''Understood, Sir.''_

_''I cannot stress the importance of his safety if he is indeed a member of the Arcs. Do I make myself clear, Agent?''_

_''Crystal.''_

_''Very good. Your equipment for this mission, as well as the full briefing, will be delivered to your room. Tomorrow at 0700 your ship will depart. For Sanctum and the glory of Mistral.''_

_Pyrrha saluted ''For Sanctum and the glory of Mistral,'' she repeated, as she had countless times before. She turned on her heels and left. The second she left the room she released a wistful sight before, as always, following orders and returning to her room._

…

A name and a face.

That was all she really had left at this point. Everything she was, everything she had accomplished was constructed for her – or rather, for their needs. In their eyes she was just another agent, picked from a number of candidates and given the mission of protecting her kingdom.

But why should she complain? It's not as if there's ever been anything more to her life.

An orphan from the slums of Mistral's capital city taken and then given the best training, care and attention. A place to live. Peers to stand beside. How could she ever complain?

Her whole life was meant to be used in service of Mistral, something she had mindlessly accepted for the longest time. Doubt only began to creep in when it was selection time. One by one, friends whom she had grown up with disappeared. She had no idea what happened to them. All she could do is hope that they found some semblance of freedom.

Then she was all alone. Just her: Pyrrha Nikos, agent of the Sanctum Special Forces. Not Pyrrha, top of her class, or Pyrrha, winner of the Mistral Regional Tournament. Her true identity was one that she would take to the grave – a highly plausible destination given the nature of some missions.

All that made missions like this one all the more endearing to her. She could just stand on the bow of a ship as it ploughed through the ocean waves, the cool breeze flowing through her hair, and let everything wash away...

''Miss Nikos? We're almost there.''

''Yes, thank you.''

… if only for a little while.

She stepped off the boat and was instantly packed into a car which would deliver her to the airport. From there it would be one short airship flight to Beacon, something she was rather excited by. It had been some time since she had travelled by airship, given how rare they were in her homeland. Despite the shortness of the car journey, her attendant still managed to talk her ear off about the importance of the mission, something she was fully aware of.

It was as though the shackles were finally released when she landed at the academy; no more attendants jabbering constantly, no more other agents looking down on her because of her youth. Just her and the student population, as well as one special individual.

A special individual who she had to wait three hours in the assembly hall to even catch her first glimpse of!

The second she caught sight of that messy blonde hair though, she didn't let it out of her sight. The key to a successful mission is to first gather information and then make a preliminary assessment of the situation. That meant Jaune, Beacon and other notable students whom she might come into contact with, including...

''So Pyrrha, have you given any thought as to whose team you would like to be on? I'm sure everyone must be eager to unite with such a strong, well-known individual, such as yourself.''

''Hmm, I'm not quite sure. I was planning on letting the chips fall where they may.''

Playing the part of a polite and professional young woman was in no way difficult to Pyrrha. Behind the smile and carefully measured words though, her mind was always at work.

Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. There was nothing for her to learn given the file the organization had on her and the Schnee Company as a whole; just another production company that took advantage of cheap Faunus labour so far as she was concerned.

As the heiress continued prattling on, Pyrrha gazed to the side, towards two other girls in the locker room.

Ruby Rose: fifteen years old, apparently invited to Beacon for her exceptional abilities. That remained to be seen.

Yang Xiao Long: seventeen years old, former student of Signal Academy. 'Xiao Long...?' The name rang a bell, but Pyrrha couldn't quite place it. She would be one that would need closer observation.

There were many individuals who had caught her eye in just over twenty four hours at Beacon, but there was still her primary objective to consider... who was now attempting to flirt with Weiss. Poorly. Watching him you'd think that he had never had a conversation with a girl his own age before.

'Still, it might just be nerves.' Until she had seen him in action there was no way to be sure if he was the real deal or not. Fortunately the upcoming initiation test would afford the perfect opportunity for observation.

''The first person you make eye contact with will be your partner for the next four years.''

With that rule in place, Pyrrha would have to be quick to locate her target, something that would be much easier if he wasn't on the move. Following their launch into the Emerald Forest, she landed on a branch overlooking the vast green sea of trees. She peered through the scope of her rifle to quickly locate Jaune, although the scope wasn't required as even a blind man could have seen the blonde tumbling through the sky like a bird with its wings clipped.

Throwing her arm back, Miló transformed itself into the form of a javelin. She raised her other arm. Lined up the shot on the boy with flailing limbs. Synchronise the breathing and… The javelin whistled through the sky. A twang, followed by a cried 'thank you' confirmed the hit.

As she ran through the abundant forest, Pyrrha reflected on what she had learned so far. All in all, the report seemed to be a wild goose chase. There was no way that someone like him would be a member of the Arcs.

The image of him dangling in a tree, pinned by her javelin, did not help alter this evaluation.

They carved a path through the plant life on the way the temple in which they would find a relic to retrieve. Had she been on her own she would be able to tear through but with Jaune the going was slow. When he got smacked down by a branch she was damn near breaking point. He got back up with a small cut on his cheek.

''Why didn't you use your Aura?'' she asked.

''My what?''

Her mind whispered to itself, 'He can't really...'

''Your Aura?''

''Gesundheit.''

'Don't say it...'

''Jaune, you… do know what Aura is, right?''

''Pfft, course I do! Do you know what it is?''

'MY GOD HE'S AN IDIOT!'

At least back at Sanctum, everyone knew the basics of combat and the skills that _every_ human being was capable of using! There was no way that this person was a member of the Arc family – of that she was now sure. There was no way There was no reason for her to stay at Beacon, but she would have to keep up appearances until command could sort out an official reason for her to leave.

That included getting through this test - and sticking with Jaune. It was obvious that he hadn't had any formal training in being a Hunter but until she could leave, she was still his partner - and thus her responsibility. Protecting him would be more difficult if his Aura wasn't even unlocked... She placed her hands on his cheeks. ''Close your eyes and concentrate.''

An idiot with Aura would be better than an idiot with no Aura.

''For it is in passing that we achieve immortality, through this we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in wisdom and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder protect thee.''

She spoke the mythic words that unlocked a human's Aura, channelling her own power to unlock his. Then she felt it. An overwhelming surge of energy, unlike anything she had felt before. From the depths of his soul, an incredible Aura radiated that left him glowing a striking gold. Her own paled in comparison to what he was emitting.

Pyrrha's vision blurred for a moment and her knees buckled. Jaune kept her from falling.

''Pyrrha?''

''I'm okay... I used my Aura to unlock your yours. The energy that protects you now is your own.'' The meagre cut that adjourned his cheek faded in the blink of an eye. She smiled. ''You have a lot of it.''

And just like that her plans had changed, having been resoundingly proven wrong.

* * *

**Bonus: Penny For Your Thoughts (Penny)**

* * *

**(Vex is still slouched back in his seat as the door slams, signalling Nora's departure. Penny, still standing, smiles at Vex.)**

**Penny: How are you this fine day?**

**Vex (glaring, but the meaning behind the gesture is lost on her. Sighs): Just great…**

**Penny: I sense sarcasm in your voice… have I done something to anger you? (She asks this with great curiosity, almost like a child)**

**Vex (sighs again): No… no you're fine. Where did Nora take you then?**

**Penny: Oh, it was the most amazing place! (She sits in the chair opposite Vex) Apparently it's called a pet store. (Vex phases out at the end of the sentence. His left eye twitches in barely controlled rage, mostly directed towards Nora, as Penny continues talking to herself) – there were even creatures from as far away as –**

**Vex: Penny… (Breaths deeply) how did it take the two of you a whole DAY to go to the pet store?!**

**Penny: Twenty nine hours, thirty two minutes and fourteen seconds to be exact. And Nora insisted she knew where we were going but we got lost – seventeen times to be exact! Anyway, we ended up going to a number of other places besides the pet store in the end. Would you like to hear about it?**

**Vex (gripping the arms of his chair, speaks through gritted teeth): No! No, thank you… Penny I think I'll be just fine. I'm… glad you enjoyed yourself.**

**Penny: Are you feeling all right? I could go get some medicine if that would help?**

**Vex (smiles): No thanks, I'm okay. (Shakes off his frustration towards Nora and focuses on the present) Anyway, there's actually been a question for you.**

**Penny (mouth agape): Truly? Oh, I'm so excited! What is it?**

**Vex (grabs sheet paper): yojimbio89 asks: ''Penny, what do you do on your down time?'' And you're not allowed to talk about the places that Nora drags you off to!**

**Penny: Well… education is a large part of my daily life, so much of my free time is dedicated to enriching my learning. But I do enjoy going for walks and observing the environment.**

**Vex: Really? I never really thought of you as a nature lover.**

**Penny (leans in, her voice insistent): Oh, but I am! Nature is so beautiful; everyone should be able to appreciate it. I cannot understand why people choose to abuse such a thing.**

**Vex (leans forward and pushes her gently back into a normal seating position): Okay, I get it. I guess everyone has something that they're passionate about. Well, I hope that answers your question. Now, I think it's about time we head home Penny.**

**Penny (tilts her head to the side): Home?**

**Vex: Didn't he tell you? You're staying with me for the time being. Something about improving social interactions. It was part of the deal to get you to help me with this.**

**Penny (stands, throwing her arms up in the air): Mag-nificent! This is going to be such fun! We'll paint our nails and try on new clothes and talk about cute boys!**

**Vex (stares at her with a deadpan look): Yeah… I can see when he meant now…**

**(If you have a question for anyone from the cast of RWBY, send me a PM, or leave it in the reviews. Currently looking for questions directed at Yang, Blake and Pyrrha specifically but all are welcome!)**


	2. Mission Two: Objectives

**Author's notes: Alright, change of plans!**

**Hey there people, Vex here with chapter two of Pyrrha And The Idiot! Now, I was planning on getting a Bumblebee out ASAP because I thought this was going to be a dud. Turns out I thought wrong. Thanks to those who have reviewed, it's nice to see some positive interest on something you have inhibitions about.**

**So I was originally planning on making this a two or three parter but if it goes well I might continue it, as a side project of course. A chapter here, a chapter there... or I might just drop everything and power my way through this, who knows? *Laughs***

**Another thing: with the posting of this chapter I have passed the 100,000 words submitted mark. Quite a successful year if I do say so myself. I look forward to continue working hard and producing content that you will hopefully take pleasure in reading.**

**Anyway, enough of that. **

**I hope you enjoy this new chapter, as well as the new installation of Penny For Your Thoughts.**

**- Vex out!**

* * *

**Pyrrha and the Idiot – Mission Two: Objectives**

* * *

It had been several weeks since the initiation test in the Emerald Forest and, in that short time, the differences between Beacon and her home had become clear. They were subtle, but there. It wasn't something that the average person would notice. It wasn't physical, nor audible. It was something more; a feeling floating through the halls. It drifted here and there, never seen, but always present.

Freedom.

The idea of free will was stifled at Sanctum. Creativity was naught but a pipe dream. Everything you did was for the benefit of your nation, that was what they were taught – what they were _trained_ to know. And they expected absolute obedience.

Not here though. It was different: people had choice. You were encouraged to improve, not ordered. You didn't have a strict schedule dictating your every day. You could even choose your seats in classes!

It was all very unnerving for Pyrrha at first – maybe even a little frightening. But it didn't take long for her to adjust. Unisex dormitories, recreational time, time off at the weekends. They all became just a part of the daily cycle as she continued with her mission.

That first night after the team assignments she had sent a message to headquarters, confirming the report, remembering to explain the conditions in which she had made the discovery. Upon hearing this, she was ordered to watch over his growth as a warrior. Something about him not reaching 'maturity' yet.

So she watched.

Given the raw force of his Aura that day, she fully expected some difficulties in control but was surprised by his displays in combat training. Every session, his power was merely a fraction of what it had been that day. She hypothesised that his body was holding it back, afraid to unleash the monstrous strength that he held.

But what was of greater concern to her, other than his academically challenged mind, was his attitude. To put it simply, Jaune was a pushover. He had no backbone, a wimp who couldn't go against anyone. This was made abundantly clear by the actions of Cardin Winchester. He was a brute; a bully who took every opportunity he could to abuse Jaune.

It seemed that was one thing consistent in both academies…

''Mr Winchester, perhaps you would like to share your thoughts on the subject?'' Bartholomew Oobleck, professor of history at Beacon, enquired.

''Well, I know that it's a lot easier to train an animal than a soldier.'' Just another example of that racist arrogance that he displayed day after day. It turned her stomach.

''You're not the most open-minded of individuals, are you Cardin?''

''What, you got a problem?''

''No, I have the answer.'' Pyrrha turned her head to the professor. ''It's night vision. Many Faunus are known to have nearly perfect sight in the dark.'' He nodded his approval.

''General Legume was inexperienced and made the mistake of trying to ambush the Faunus in their sleep. His massive army was outmatched and the General was captured,'' added Blake Belladonna, a member of Team RWBY, whom she sat next to in history lessons. Cool-headed and proven to have skill in combat, she was one person who Pyrrha was actually fond of both inside and out. ''Perhaps if he had paid attention in class, he wouldn't have been remembered as such a failure.''

The jab made Cardin stand, growling like an Ursa; just another mindless creature. The two girls shared a momentary smile as he was ordered to retake his seat. ''You and Mr Arc can see me after class for additional readings.''

Jaune groaned from his seat in the front row.

The lesson proceeded without further interruption. As the students filed out of the class at the ring of the bell, Pyrrha turned to the two other members of her team. ''You go on ahead, I'll wait for Jaune.''

Nora Valkyrie: a bona fide airhead, constantly giggling and dashing around with childish fervour. Though not the most academically inclined student, her prowess in combat more than made up for it.

Lie Ren: almost the exact opposite of his partner, Ren was mild-natured, intelligent and yet still competent in combat. He would make for an excellent team mate, had it not been for that look he gave her. She would sometimes look to see his eyes glued to her, suspecting and interrogative, as though he was piecing together an expansive puzzle, searching for the lost pieces as he went along.

The same look he gave her before leaving, following Nora who had twirled and walked away.

She would have to be weary around him.

This situation was one she had been waiting for, to be alone with Jaune and be able to take the opportunity to propose an idea she had. She had been instructed to watch over his growth, but in the normal lessons it was clear that he was making very little, if any. So, she had scouted the school to find a suitable location for her plan to take place and found one, all that was left was to lead him there.

She picked Jaune up off the floor following a shove from Cardin when they finally emerged. ''You know, I really will break his legs.'' He sighed at her half-joke. Now or never. ''I have an idea!'' she gasped. ''Here, come with me!''

Less 'follow' and more 'let me drag you' but the end result was the same.

They stepped out onto the roof of their dormitory under the vast night sky. Stars twinkled like diamonds and the green glow of the central facility made for an image plucked from a children's story book. Of course, in a fairy tale he'd be a dashing prince and she'd be his-

'Wait… what was I just thinking?' she thought, perplexed by the path her mind had taken. 'Get your head straight!'

''Uh, Pyrrha, I know I'm going through a hard time right now, but I'm not that depressed. I could always be a farmer or something…''

Her head shot from him to where he was looking: a sharp drop and a sudden stop. ''NO!'' she cried, realizing what he meant and yanked him away from the edge. ''That's not why I brought you up here. Jaune, I know you're having a difficult time in class and you're still not the strongest of fighters, so… I want to help you!

''What?''

''We can train up here after class where no one can bother us.''

''You think I need help?''

That was not the reaction she had imagined the many times she had run through the scenario in her head in preparation for this.

He frowned at her, which caught her off guard. His tone was defensive, offended even. ''No! – no. That's not what I meant.''

''But you just said it.'' It was an accusation the likes of which she wouldn't expect from him. He never acted serious like this.

''Jaune, everyone needs a little push from time to time. That doesn't make you any different from the rest of us. You made it to Beacon; that speaks volumes of what you're capable of.''

He turned away from her. ''You're wrong…'' his shoulders sagged in defeat. ''I don't belong here.''

''That's a terrible thing to say, of course you do.''

He wipped around. ''No, I don't!'' He sighed, turning his back once more. An awkward pause followed. ''I didn't really make it into Beacon.''

Her eyes widened. ''Wh-what do you mean?''

''I mean I didn't go to combat school, I didn't take any tests, I didn't earn my place at this academy!'' He turned back, his head bowed in shame. ''I lied. I got my hands on some fake transcripts, and I lied.''

''What? But... why?''

''Because this is always what I've wanted to be! My father, my grandfather and his father before him were all warriors - they were heroes! I wanted to be one too! I was just never good enough.'' That was the first time she had heard Jaune speak about his family besides his mother. It was the first indication she had received that he knew about his family.

''Then let me help you!''

''I don't want help, I don't want to be the damsel in distress, I want to be the hero!

Her pitiful attempts to interrupt were drowned by his words.

''I'm tired of being the lovable idiot, stuck in the tree, while his friends fight for their lives – don't you understand?! If I can't do this on my own, then what good am I?''

Pyrrha stepped forward, reaching out to Jaune. Any impression of control she thought she thought she had leading him up here had now been smashed, leaving her to work on instinct. Her instinct was telling her to hold him, comfort him, tell him it would all be okay. He pulled away. ''Just, leave me alone! Okay?''

She retreated, ''… if that's what you think is best...'' She turned away, still feeling his eyes boring into her back, and left. That was the last time for a while that they spoke.

Pyrrha returned to their room, empty, and lay on her bed. Her mind was awash with the information sweeping through her. Jaune knew! He knew something about his family's legacy. Maybe not the whole story but…

She froze.

It was as though a veil had been lifted, one that had blinded her for the past weeks. She never saw Jaune. All she saw was 'an Arc'. He was more than that: he was _Jaune_ Arc. All at once, every fibre of her being turned to disgust at herself. Was that what she was? Did she just slap a label on him and assume she had it all worked out? She had been completely ignorant of the person she had spent weeks with: his thoughts, his feelings, his dreams.

All she had thought about was the mission.

That's all that had mattered.

That was her job.

That was…

* * *

**Bonus: Penny For Your Thoughts (Pyrrha)**

* * *

**(Vex is in the kitchenette of the apartment. Penny emerges from one of the two bedrooms. Vex turns)**

**Vex: Morning, Penny. **

**Penny: Good morning! What're you doing? (Peers over his shoulder)  
**

**Vex (swats her away with a spatula): Just go sit over there. Breakfast will be done soon. (Penny sits at the dining table and waits in silence until Vex places a plate of sausage bacon and fried eggs in front of her)It's not much, but it'll have to do until we can go shopping. Well what are you waiting for? Dig in!**

**Penny (smiles politely): Vex, you do know that my body doesn't require nutrition, right? You don't have to prepare-**

**Vex (cuts her off by holding up his fork with a piece of sausage on the end): Rule number one of social etiquette: when someone offers you a free meal, you eat it. Now... (smirks and thrusts fork forward to her mouth) ...eat!**

**Penny (Obediently bites down and chews, swallows. Smiles): It tastes delicious.**

**Vex: Good to hear. (Returns to his own meal, slicing up the bacon. Looks up in response to an odd sound just in time to see a blade slice through the table. Cries out) Gah?! What the hell was that? **

**Penny: I was just slicing up my meal, as you were.**

**Vex (shocked, looks at his knife, then her blade): Yeah but I was... I... Ugh! Rule number two: No weapons at the dinner table!**

**Penny: Understood! (She puts away her weapon and grins as though pleased about something)**

**Vex: What?**

**Penny: I just know I'm going to learn so much from you. I'm highly excited by the prospect.**

**Vex (smiles at helplessly her innocence): Alright... we're going to have to get a new table now... (The door smashes open and Pyrrha charges in) .. and a new door. Hello Pyrrha.**

**Pyrrha: I heard yelling and I... (looks at the door, now smashed to pieces) Oh, I'm sorry!**

**Vex (waves it away): It's fine, today seems to be the day for trashing my place...**

**Pyrrha (notices the table): What happened h- (notices Penny) Who's this?**

**Vex: This is Penny, she's staying with me while she helps me with a little project I'm working on.**

**Penny: My name's Penny, it's a pleasure to meet you!**

**Pyrrha: It's very nice to meet you too. Now, what is this project of yours?**

**Vex: Hmmm... how about we call it a study into the personal and social opinions of a select group of individuals? Yeah, that sounds good. (Sees Pyrrha's narrowed eyes) Don't give me that look, it's 100% legit. In fact... how would you like to give Penny here some practice?**

**Penny: Oh would you? I'd be ever so grateful.**

**Pyrrha: I'm sorry, I have things to do and-**

**Vex: It'll only take a few seconds and besides- (a shadow crosses over his face) - you did just break down my door.**

**Pyrrha (conflicted by the obvious guilt trip): Very well, I'll do it.**

**Vex: Capital! Now - (turns to Penny) - just like we practised.**

**Penny: All right. Pyrrha, yojimbo89 has asked: How do you deal with Nora with Nora when Ren is not around?**

**(Pyrrha is visibly caught off guard by the nature of the question. Vex leans in, eager to learn of a way he could handle being around Nora and retaining his sanity)**

**Pyrrha: Well, let's see... when Ren isn't around she is can be difficult but so long as she is kept occupied she really isn't that bad. For example, heading into town and visiting shops together can be fun and sparring with her is quite interesting given her unpredictability. I will admit though that from time to time things can become rather... heated. (Her cheeks take on a colour similar to her hair)**

**Penny (turns to Vex, confused): I sense that she's embarrassed. What does she mean by 'heated'?**

**Vex: That's one lesson you don't need to learn, Pen...  
**

**(If you have a question for anyone from the cast of RWBY, send me a PM, or leave it in the reviews. More questions means less filler of day-to-day activities, although, you guys might actually enjoy that part so who knows. As for the 'heated' comment: ****see 'Nora's Needs' by Isyys for more details.)**


	3. Mission Three: Truth

**Author's notes: Hey there people, Vex here with chapter three of Pyrrha And The Idiot!  
**

**So first of all, big thanks to all the positive feedback! This is definitely the most successful story I've written so far and it really is cool to see support for it. Not bad for a random idea I came up with on the bus home from college, eh?**

**So... you know when you have something to say, but when you come to actually write it you forget it? Yeah...**

**Hmmm... **

**Nope, I've got nothing! *Laughs***

**I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**- Vex out!**

* * *

**Pyrrah and the Idiot – Mission Three: Truth  
**

* * *

Hero. When you think of that work you usually imagine a handsome young man, strong and quick-witted. A real man among men who you respected above all others.

During her history studies, Pyrrha would always fantasize about the bold and the brave hero riding in to battle on a dashing stallion, blade in hand prepared to make battle. It was childish but she enjoyed the dreams in her lonely sleeping quarters each night. There were times she would sneak out to the library and pour over historical texts until dawn, eyes glistening with wonder at the epic tales before her.

As she grew older and matured, logic overcame the dreams of a starry eyed child. No hero of legend would keep her alive during a mission. The night before departing however, her mind had run wild with reignited passion of the ideas from her younger years.

That may have been one of the reasons she initially expected so much of Jaune.

It had been a week since their argument and they hadn't spoken once. This was partly due to the fact that he had become little more than Cardin's gofer but more because she just couldn't bring herself to face him. How could she? She was manipulative and didn't give even a moment's thought towards how he was feeling. What he was going through. She had been observing an Arc – not Jaune.

That, in addition to Cardin's dominion over Jaune, placed her in quite a foul mood. A mood that wasn't being helped by the incessant creaking of bedsprings.

''How come Jaune comes home so late?'' Nora asked mid-bounce.

''He has become rather scarce since he's been fraternizing with Cardin,'' Ren commented as he cleaned Stormflower.

''That's weird. Doesn't he know we have a field trip tomorrow? We need our rest!'' The last part was said to the rhythm of the creaks before they ceased as she flopped onto her bed.

Pyrrha didn't turn from the window she was staring out of. ''I'm sure our leader knows exactly what he's doing.''

''Hmmm, I guess so...'' Both Nora and Ren were concerned about the change in Jaune. They both knew about Cardin's bullying and, by extension, very confused about why their leader was doing his dirty work. Still, when they confronted him about it he just laughed it off in that nervous way he had when he was clearly lying. He wouldn't tell them the truth so they would just have to accept things for what they were… at least for the time being.

Pyrrha looked down at her scroll. Once again, a dot was floating just beyond the door to the room. Clearly he had forgotten about the GPS tracking feature that scrolls had for each team, allowing them to locate their squad quickly. Every night she would see that speck of yellow hovering, never approaching the three others, but just waiting. She so wanted to go out there and pull him in, tell him that they would help him with whatever trouble he had with Cardin. But she daren't for fear of hurting him even more than she already had.

The spot began to move away.

She sighed and looked up. Ren was looking at her in that way again. She wished he would stop doing that. Ever since the distance between them and their leader had formed, the looks came more frequently. It was there when she when she went to bed and it was there when she work up.

The next day was no exception.

They grabbed their gear and headed to the landing pad where a medium-sized airship would take them to the forest of Forever Fall. Pyrrha had been there only once before on a mission to investigate the effect of red sap on the growth of Grimm. It was theorized that the sweet substance drove the monsters to grow to sizes beyond natural occurrence – to a limited extent.

The same ingredient in many desserts also just happened to be monster fertilizer. Who knew?

The first year expedition, being led by Glynda Goodwitch, was tasked with collecting jars of this sap for use back at Beacon. Jaune was quickly led away by Team CRDL, carrying all of their equipment, of course. Pyrrha sighed at the sight, and then walked in the opposite direction.

She, Nora and Ren conducted their gathering alongside Team RWBY. It was refreshing to see the light-hearted manner in which they composed themselves – with the exception of Weiss who continued to maintain the professional air she always had.

Between the cheerful conversations and trying to keep Nora from consuming all the sap they collected, Pyrrha almost found herself forgetting about the troubles that she would have to deal with when they returned.

That changed in a second. From within the forest she felt a spike of energy, familiar and warm. And powerful. It lasted but a moment so she couldn't be sure however she could have sworn that was Jaune. Was he in trouble?

'Maybe I should go see?' she thought.

**'You're just looking for an excuse to go see him.'**

'What? Don't be ridiculous; he could be in trouble out there.'

The voice in her head snickered at her rationalizing of the situation.

**'What's this? Look at you getting all flustered. It's pathetic!'**

'My job is to make sure he stays safe!'

**'Yeah, keep telling yourself that sweetheart.'**

She would have argued back but cries cut her psychotic conversation short.

''URSA! URSA!''

Yang grabbed Russel Thrush as he ran. ''What? Where?''

''Back there; it's got Cardin!'' he yelled before taking off.

Pyrrha dropped the jar she was holding. ''Jaune!'' she gasped.

''Blake, Yang: you two go find Professor Goodwitch!'' Ruby ordered, quickly taking charge of the situation.

''You two, go with them! There could be more.''

Pyrrha, followed closely by Ruby and Weiss, tore through the foliage at a breakneck pace. 'Hang in there Jaune, I'll be there soon!'

The trio entered a clearing as a huge Ursa loomed over Cardin. Weapon tossed aside, he had no way to defend himself from the claw that was aimed for his head…

When Jaune threw himself between the two, protecting Cardin from the fatal blow with his shield.

Weiss raised her rapier, poised to charge.

_''If I can't do this by myself, then what good am I?''_

''Wait.''

With a grunt, Jaune pushed back the Ursa, then rolled to the side to avoid the second attack. The third caught a glancing blow then the fourth landed a direct hit, tossing him back. Not yet done, Jaune stumbled to his feet and made another wild, clumsy charge. He leapt and was promptly swatted to the side once more.

As he got back to his feet for the second time, Pyrrha felt her heart pounding in her chest, threatening to tear itself apart. She desperately wanted to rush to his side, to raise her blade and protect him: but that wasn't what he wanted. He wanted to prove himself, and there was no way she would take that from him.

Jaune and the Ursa lunged forward, each aiming to finish the fight with one blow. From where she was watching Pyrrha could instantly tell that, while his blade would meet his target, the huge claw would reach him first.

'No choice' she thought, raising her hand. She had hoped not to reveal her Semblance to anyone but it looked like she had no choice. Focusing her Aura, she visualized the shield on Jaune's left rising to block the attack. It did. He pushed on, and with one great swing, removed the Ursa's head from its shoulders.

The world turned silent for the victor of this life-or-death duel.

''What was that?'' Weiss asked, breaking the silence.

As she explained her Semblance to them, Pyrrha was smiling inside. She may have had her hand forced, but it was worth it to see Jaune win for once. She turned away after making the two promise not to tell anyone what they saw.

**'They're not gonna be happy with us when they find out.'**

'Who cares.'

**'Ooooh, what's this? You finally hit your rebellious phase? Sweet! Guess that guy's got a good effect on you after all.'**

'Think what you like. Just don't interfere. Got it?'

**'I wouldn't dream of it…'**

The return trip was quick once the students had been rounded up. They had met their quota for sap and everything seemed to have turned out all right.

That night, RWBY and JNPR minus Jaune claimed the dorm's lounge and built-in kitchen. The smell of pancakes wafted through the air as Ren and Nora waged their private war for food, under the careful supervision of Blake while Pyrrha and the others played cards – waiting for whatever was the result of the conflict to be served to them.

Ren and Blake stumbled out, looking physically drained, balancing a plate stacked high with pancakes on each hand, when Pyrrha's scroll beeped. A text message appeared on the screen which read: _Come to the roof – Jaune. _It was quickly followed by a second message, just saying: _please._ She smiled and excused herself as Ruby and Yang interrogated Nora about the lack of syrup.

At the base of the stairs to the roof Pyrrha stopped, hesitant to go on. Everything was looking better but there was still the fact that she was flat out deceiving him... it turned her stomach. She always believed that she was a fundamentally honest person but in this case that couldn't be any further from the truth.

She could stand there all night debating it, but there was no way to go but up.

She approached in silence, the ethereal green glow of the central facility acting as the background for yet another private conversation. Jaune had his back to her, looking out over the horizon. ''No Cardin tonight? I thought you two were 'best buds'?''

He turned at the sound of her voice, eyes downcast. ''Pyrrha... I'm sorry. I was a jerk; you were only trying to be nice and I... I had all this stupid macho stuff in my head and-''

''Jaune. It's okay.'' It felt wrong acting like he was the one in the wrong when she was just as guilty as he was... ''Your team really misses their leader, you know?'' She turned away and made to go back inside. She couldn't face him. ''You should come down: Ren made panca~aaakes. No syrup though, you can thank Nora for that.''

''Wait! I know I don't deserve it after all that's happened but... would you still be willing to help me? To become a better fighter.''

Those few moments felt like an eternity. His words froze the world, encasing them in a bubble illuminated by emerald. That was good because she had no idea what came next. There were any number of things she could do, but...

**'You know what to do.'**

Pyrrha strode back to him and shoved the blonde to the floor.

''Hey!''

The bubble burst.

''Your stance is all wrong. You need to be wider and lower to the ground.'' She reached down and helped him back up. ''Now, let's try that again.''

'If I can't be honest with him... then I'll just do what I can. Come hell or high water Jaune, you will be a hero! Of that, I'm-'

A quiet growl cut into her thoughts.

Jaune chuckled. ''Say, could we get that food first? I'm starving.''

''Sure,'' she laughed. ''Come on, everyone's waiting.'' She grasped his hand and led him back inside. He might never be like the brave warriors from her dreams, but he wasn't a bad replacement.

Everyone was ecstatic to have Jaune back, celebrating with what Nora so aptly named a 'pancake party'. Many laughs were shared and by the end of the night, Pyrrha and Ren were the last to leave, acting as the designated cleaners.

''So, how did it go?'' he asked as they walked back to their room.

''What are you talking about?''

Ren rolled his eyes. ''You know what. You and Jaune.''

''I don't know what you're implying, but-''

''I've seen the way you look at him. Sometimes you stare at him for minutes before snapping out of it.''

Pyrrha stopped, feeling a strange hotness in her cheeks. ''Wait... that's why you... you think I...?''

''It's obvious. Come on, we've got class tomorrow.'' He continued walking, then paused, smirking. ''You two make a better pair than we would anyway.''

Her blush burst into full bloom. ''REN!''

And so the teasing began for something not even she could comprehend.

* * *

**No Penny For Your Thoughts this time. I want to get this chapter out and don't have the time to**** write a bonus. Rest assured, it will return next chapter along with the beginning of my original storyline. That's right people, we're out of the canon! Any and all questions are welcome and wanted, answers will be given to all!  
**

**Next time, Mission Four: The Vytal Festival  
**


	4. Mission Four: Preliminaries

**Author's notes:Hey there boys and girls, Vex here with the next chapter of Pyrrha And The Idiot!  
**

**Okay... this is by far the longest chapter I've written for this story so far... Sorry guys! *Laughs* Hopefully it turned out well and isn't just a bunch of rambling.  
**

**So, this is the first of three/four chapters that will cover the events of the Vytal Festival and I've gotta say, I think it's shaping up to be quite interesting. I would talk longer here but I think you guys have got enough stuff ahead of you so I'll leave you to get on with it.  
**

**I had a lot of fun writing this chapter and I hope you find just as much enjoyment reading it!**

**- Vex out!**

* * *

**Pyrrah and the Idiot – Mission Four: The Vytal Festival - Preliminaries  
**

* * *

Pyrrha tossed her shield Akoúo with all her strength at the target, similar to how one would a discus. It clattered off of Jaune's shield, the force causing him to stumble. His defence broken, Pyrrha dashed forward, catching Akoúo as it fell through the air, and aimed to finish off her opponent with an overhead slash of her blade.

Not to go down so easily, Jaune raised his sword, Crocea Mors, at the last second. The two blades clanged together, neither one giving an inch. Pyrrha thrusted her shield into his abdomen, winding him, before hooking a foot behind his ankle and pulling, causing him to fall to the floor. Transforming, the barrel of Miló's carbine form now stared the defenceless blonde in the face, waiting for the order from its mistress to strike.

A few weeks ago, Jaune would have just given up at this point, but now he swung a leg at Pyrrha's feet, knocking her off-balance and took the chance to get back to his feet.

Again, they faced off on the roof of the dormitories, the light of the waning evening sun their only spectator.

This time it was Jaune who moved first, keeping his body low to the ground as instructed. Both sword and shield were prepared to block any attack from the front and then instantly retaliate, which pleases her greatly. He was learning. Pyrrha dropped her armaments and, as soon as he was close enough, flipped over him. With his back to her, it was easy to catch him in one of the holds she had learnt over the years. Applying force, she forced him to his knees and dropping his arms. She leaned in to his ear, whispered, ''Good work, Jaune,'' and released.

He collapsed onto the floor, panting as the sweat dripped off his brow, as he did after every spar they had. If she had to be honest, Pyrrha would say that these sessions were the part of the day she looked forward to the most. Seeing the incredible effort and commitment Jaune had towards getting stronger was inspiring. In the few weeks they had started this daily ritual, Juane's physical abilities had shown a vast improvement; not yet at the stage where she would like him to be, but it was definitely better than before.

''Keep it up and you might not need me before too long,'' she said, tossing him a bottle of water.

He took several deep gulps. ''This is all thanks to you, Pyrrha.''

She smiled. ''Nonsense, you're the one doing all the work here. You should take more pride in your abilities.''

While it was true she was pleased with his progress, there was one aspect that had her troubled. His Aura. No matter what they did, he just didn't seem to be able to produce that exceptional power that she knew he was capable of. Because of this, they were unable to make and headway into his Semblance – or even identify it for that matter.

Semblance – the manifestation of one's Aura – was an integral part to any Hunter's fighting style. It could be the very defining feature upon which everything else orbits. Thus, not even knowing what his Semblance was presented a very big problem indeed.

But they had time. Time that she would use to help him reach his dream.

''So, do you think I'll be ready?''

She hummed in thought. ''I think you'll do just fine if we continue as we are. Just don't go in expecting to win, that's not going to happen.''

''I know that. If anyone's going to win, it'll be you.'' The look in his eyes, fierce and honest, made her feel warm inside. Pyrrha turned as the warmth spread up to her cheeks.

''I-I'm going to go shower,'' she said, stepping away, adding over her shoulder, ''I'll do my best not to disappoint.''

**''Damn right you won't.'' **The hot water trickled down her body as It addressed her. **''It'll mean our head if you don't.''**

''Stop overreacting, you'll give yourself a migraine.''

**''Say what you want, just don't forget the mission.''**

She certainly wouldn't. That little line of text she had received a few days ago from headquarters.

_Continue observations. Win the Vytal Festival Tournament. For Sanctum and the glory of Mistral._

Her days were dedicated to preparing herself for the upcoming mission, while still keeping up with schoolwork and training Jaune. With such a hectic schedule, the preliminary tournament that would decide which four students would form Team Beacon and represent Vale against the three other kingdoms: Atlas, Vecchia and, of course, Mistral. To decide these representatives, every student who applied was put into one of four groups which would compete in a mini-tournament comprised of one-on-one match ups. The prize for winning their grouping was a place on the final team.

Although inefficient in comparison to Mistral, who simply selected individuals to compete like they had for the last Vytal festival held five years ago, the buzzing atmosphere among the student body in the days up to the preliminaries was infectious. A more positive collection of people you couldn't find anywhere. In the festivities, it was clear who were the favourites to win; a surprising number of first year names had cropped up among this list.

Pyrrha was pleasantly surprised at how far Jaune had made it in Group B, reaching the quarter finals thanks to a mixture of the harsh training she had been putting him through and just a pinch of luck. His luck had run its course from the looks of his next opponent.

Cracking her knuckles, Yang grinned at her next victim. ''Sorry, I'll make this quick, Vomit Boy.''

The match seemed like more of a violent game of cat and mouse and it wasn't long until the bell rang, proclaiming Yang the victor. Regardless, Pyrrha was proud that Jaune faced the challenge, rather than just forfeiting. It spoke volumes as to how much he had changed.

Pyrrha gave him a pat on the arm and praised his effort. ''Oi, Pyrrha!'' Her head turned to the arena. The assembly hall in which combat lessons were usually held had been commandeered to hold these matches, the stands packed students. Yang stood with a fist held out to the red head, her trademark grin presenting an unspoken challenge. The students whooped and cheered at the gesture, lapping up the drama like starving animals.

After giving Cardin a brutal beat down that she had no doubt wanted to bequeath him for some time, Yang's name was added to the roster, right next to Pyrrha's, who had already emerged as victor of Group A.

Group C proceeded as smoothly as the previous two, until it came to the second semi-final match up.

Weiss adjusted the position of one of her feet by a fraction, rapier held still in her hand. Ruby was crouched, a wild cat ready to pounce. The partners stared each other down. The hall was still - soundless in anticipation. Then they heard it. It came from out of nowhere. A maniacal cry. A loud crash announced the intruder's arrival to centre stage.

''NORA!''

The girl had leapt onto the arena, her hammer pounding the ground between the two combatants. Ruby stumbled to the floor at the shock. Weiss' placed her free hand on her hip with a look of fury on her face. ''What is the meaning of this?''

''You guys are taking wayyyyy too long! I'll just take you both on!'' The carefree epitome of hyper hopped between feet, Magnhild rearing to strike.

The audience roared with delight at the sudden turn of events, chanting ''Fight, fight, fight!'' Leave it to Nora to shake things up a bit. Silence fell when the proctor, one Professor Port, raised his hand.

He cleared his throat. ''Miss Valkyrie, you've got moxie! I like that. I will allow this match, provided the two of you have no complaints, of course?'' He directed this to Ruby and Weiss. They shared a look: Weiss cocked an eyebrow and Ruby smirked in response.

''Very well, we'll be glad to teach her some manners.''

Port boomed with laughter. ''That's what I like to hear!'' He turned back to Nora. ''If you win, your place on Team Beacon is assured. Should your opponents win however, they will go on to the finals and battle for the place, understood?''

''Loud and clear, Teach!'' she said, giving a joyous salute.

''And, should either of your Auras fall into the red, you will lose the match, understood?''

The electronic board above the arena that had shown an image of Ruby and Weiss with their respective Aura levels was wiped and replaced with a large picture of Nora on one side with the previous two on the other. In tournament style matches, the fight was over when one person's Aura gauge fell into the red, signifying that the protective properties are about to wear out. This was a rule put in place to ensure the safety of competitors, a clear necessity given the importance of Huntsmen and Huntresses in a world besieged by Grimm.

Although unusual occurrences, the rules of a two on one match dictated that if one of the members on the tag team had their bar reduced to red, they would both lose.

The match began with Nora firing off several shots from her grenade launcher. Ruby took aim and picked them from the air mid-flight and they exploded into a cloud of pink. Using her glyphs, Weiss danced through the makeshift smokescreen but was surprised to see no Nora waiting on the other side. The sound of childish giggles came from above.

Forming another glyph directly below her, Weiss launched herself from the ground, Myrtenaster reaching for the spinning girl and her hammer. Time slowed and Weiss realized her mistake from the smirk on Nora's face.

''Smash!'' An explosion sounded and Nora jerked, suddenly spinning in the opposite direction with Magnhild's head aimed for Weiss. The hammer smashed into the heiress and she rocketed towards the ground.

Through the pink mist formed by the dissipating smoke Ruby appeared quick as a flash, arm held out. The two clasped hands and, with the momentum provided by Nora's last strike, flung Weiss back for a second try – this time supported by her partner who had enough visibility to provide covering fire.

The crowd was stunned by the flawless fluidity with which they fought given the hectic pacing of the fight. To Pyrrha, it felt less like watching Ruby and Weiss and more like Ren and Nora who had made their outstanding cohesion clear within days of the forming of JNPR. Speaking of Nora…

''And it's a home run!'' Nora cried, smacking Weiss down again, this time right into Ruby. The pair sat in a tangled mess of limbs as Nora set down, grin still plastered on her face. ''And you're out!''

The claxon sounded to announce Nora's perfect victory, having not lost a single sliver of her bar. It took her but a few hits to completely deplete Weiss' Aura, which Pyrrha suspected was partly down to her Aura being weaker than others given that it focuses on technique over sheer force, something Nora had to an overwhelming degree. 'That'll be something I have to watch out for,' Pyrrha thought, already formulating a plan to combat her team mate should the draw be unfavourable.

With the end of the preliminaries, Team Beacon stood in a line on the before the students. ''Though your time as a team will be short, I am sure you will do great things.'' Port had probably spent hours rehearsing his grand speech, but the meaning was still there. ''Pyrrha Nikos, Yang Xiao Long, Nora Valkyrie, Blake Belladonna. I wish the four of you the best of luck.''

That night the four girls were hailed as queens at the dormitory, everyone astounded at how four first years had won. Needless to say, nobody got very much sleep that night, although for Pyrrha, it was for a completely different reason.

As a celebrity, Pyrrha was plagued by requests to pose with people in pictures, something Ren found amusing and provided him a new way to tease – or just be a nuisance, at least by her standards. After the twelfth that night, she was rescued by a message from her scroll. Pyrrha smiled, hopeful that it was Jaune who had gotten lost in the hustle and bustle.

She couldn't have been more wrong.

Excusing herself from the party, Pyrrha crossed the campus alone and entered the central facility. She leaned against the wall of the elevator on her way to the top floor. The headmaster had sent for her. 'What could Ozpin want with me at this time of night?'

The name Octavius Ozpin was known the world over. Enigmatic, master Huntsman and learned scholar were just some of the ways she had heard him referred to. This would be her first time speaking to him face to face. She was nervous as she knocked on the door to his office; who wouldn't? She was about to meet a literal living legend.

''Enter.''

He stood with his back to her, gazing out of the window upon the school below. His school. On instinct, she clicked her heels together and held her hands behind her back, feeling just as she had that night she first received the order to come to Beacon.

''Pyrrha Nikos…'' He turned and looked her over with a grim expression, then smiled. ''I apologize for not meeting with you sooner.''

''I'm sorry, Sir? Meet with me?''

''Of course,'' he said. ''I had intended to have a talk with you sooner but the opportunity never presented itself. All things have a proper time it seems.''

''I'm sorry, I'm not quite sure I follow.''

Ozpin took a sip from his mug and gave her a quizzical look. ''Really? Well, given your record I felt the courtesy to meet you personally would be required. Top of your class in Sanctum, winner of the Mistral regional four years in a row and a cereal box character; it's quite the resume for a seventeen year old.''

''I just consider it to be good luck on my part.''

''Indeed.'' He turned back to the window and added a thoughtful hum before continuing. ''Join me, will you?'' Pyrrha stepped up to his side and for the first time got a close up look at the man: eyes full of purpose gazed out of the window, his spectacles reflected the emerald glow of the building - but only just. ''Take a look.'' The campus spread out below them and in the distance you could just make out the airship docks at Beacon Cliffs hanging over the ocean that stretched far into the horizon.

If she had to pick, she would take their rooftop any day, although this came in a close second.

''What do you think?''

''It's beautiful...'' Pyrrha muttered, pressing a hand against the glass and leaning forward as she tried to pick out the aforementioned rooftop. ''I'm truly glad I got te opportunity to come here.'' Even if it was under false pretenses...

Ozpin nodded and took another sip of his drink. ''I look out of this window once every day and once every night. It helps remind me of who I am - what I'm doing here.'' He placed the mug on his desk and picked up an envelope. ''It reminds me of my mistakes. It reminds me of the people who died due to my carelessness, people who might be alive today had I been even a little different all those years ago. But who could say? It's every mistake I've ever made that has molded me into the man I am today. The mistakes I make today will make me who I am tomorrow. This is true for all humans until the day we can finally rest...''

He sighed and sat behind his desk, gesturing for Pyrrha to take a seat. She did and he continued. ''I love this academy and all its students, regardless of where they come from. They are my obligation and my atonement, and I will do my best to serve them in place of those who cannot.''

Pyrrha was lost. She had no idea how to respond to the man. She understood his words. She understood the meaning of the words. But something inside her stirred - a tiny spark that had been smothered by years of training and discipline. Hope... or perhaps, freedom? Whatever it was called, this alien feeling scared her. ''I'm sorry, Sir, but I don't understand. Is there a point to this?''

His mouth produced a small smile as his eyes locked with hers over his spectacals. He saw her. Everything. ''Don't mind me, just the ruminations of a tired old man. Now, as for why I actually called you here...'' He handed the envelope to Pyrrha. Address information on the front, and on the back...

The seal of Sanctum.

Pyrrha tore open the letter and began to read:

_Professor Octavius Ozpin,_

_An issue has been brought to our attention of which we feel the need to address._

_In light of the upcoming Vytal Festival, we of Mistral's Sanctum Academy would like to make a formal request. We would like for you to grant a temporary leave of absence for Miss Pyrrha Nikos, and allow her to participate in the upcoming tournament as a member of Team Mistral._

_We understand the suddenness of our request given the short period of tile left before the event, however as a citizen of Mistral, we feel that it would be appropriate for Miss Nikos to represent her home state-_

The rest of the letter was a load of political jargon stating why she should not fight for Team Beacon. ''I see.'' That was all she could manage.  
She looked up to see that Ozpin hadn't moved an inch, only that his smile was now gone.

''This is your decision. Whatever you decide, Beacon will support you and, should you choose to represent Mistral, you will be welcomed back with open arms.'' Pyrrha knew that the man had a deep understanding of the situation, even without him saying it. For all she knew, he knew everything that happened in every deep, dark nook and cranny in the world - maybe even about the Special Forces and the reason why she came in the first place. But he was giving her a choice: that was something she never got back home.

''Can I have some time to think about it?''

''Of course. I will need an answer by tomorrow though.''

''Thank you...''

Pyrrha stood and left, like a whisper in the storm.

Alone, Ozpin spoke. ''Did you hear that?''

''I heard every word.''

''You know what to do.''

''Understood.'' The shadow faded and Ozpin was left to finish his drink, and plan for the coming days.

Pyrrha spent the whole night simply wandering, letting her feet guide her to destination unknown. Except, in her heart, she knew her answer before she had left Ozpin's office. It was the only option for her.

**On The Day Of The Tournament...**

She sat in the dark locker room, a man pacing in front of her.

''You know the aim of this mission?''

''Yes, Sir. It has been explained to me.''

''Are you prepared?''

''Yes, Sir. I'm combat ready.''

* * *

**Bonus: Penny For Your Thoughts (Team RWBY)**

* * *

**(Vex and Penny walk down the street. Vex is carrying a plastic bag in each hand, Penny is holding a shopping list)  
**

**Penny (checking the list): I believe we have everything we came for.**

**Vex: Well, that's good. And we've got a new table coming from Ikea so not a bad day's shopping if I do say so myself.**

**Penny (stops and places hands on hips in triumphant pose): Another completed mission for Penny and Vex! **

**Vex (not looking back): Yeah, yeah, just keep walking, airhead. (They continue walking but stop at the corner) Wait a sec! (Vex peers around the corner) Okay, we're good.**

**Penny: I don't understand, you've been doing that all day since we left the apartment. Why are you doing that?**

**Vex: I'm making sure we don't run into Yang.**

**Penny (tilts head): But why?**

**Vex: Penny, did you see that story I put out this week? If she catches me after what I wrote in that ending, she'll murder me!  
**

**Penny: Murder you? But why? The story wasn't that appalling.**

**Vex (eye twitches): Penny... you... (Sighs at her blank reaction) Someone's gotta give you the Birds and the Bees talk sometime. (Turns away and slowly walks, deep in thought.)**

**?: Gahh! Penny, where did you come from?!**

**Vex (stops and eyes widen at the voice.): Oh god, that girl's going to get me killed... (Looks back and sees Penny standing with Ruby and Weiss) Or maybe not. Guess today's my lucky day.  
**

**Penny: Vex, it appears Yang is indeed looking to kill you in a variety of 'extremely painful and violent ways' as Ruby just said.**

**Vex: Yeah, can you try and not be so cheerful when you say that. Doesn't really fit the mood.**

**Weiss: It's you're own fault.**

**Ruby: You did go a bit far at the end there.**

**Weiss: What on earth were you thinking?!**

**Vex: Hey, like I said, it just came out that way, I didn't plan it like that. Now I'm constantly checking to make sure I don't run into her!**

**?: Well, well, look who I just found! (Vex turns slowly to see Blake standing next to an extremely pissed off Yang, cracking her knuckles with Ember Cecelia ready and loaded.)**

**Vex (holding out arms in a calming manner):Now, Yang. Just calm down. Deep breaths-**

**Yang: Calm down? Deep breaths?! You wrote me as some creepy fangirl. A creepy, perverted fangirl!**

**Vex: BLAKE, SAVE ME!**

**Blake (looks between the two for a few seconds. Turns to Yang): He's all yours. (Yang yells and charges, grabbing a screaming Vex by the throat and running off with him. Blake takes a picture of this) That's one for the scrapbook.**

**(Awkward atmosphere as the three girls are left alone with Penny, nobody speaking. Penny reaches into her pocket and pulls out a card)**

**Penny: Have you ever used Yang's Burning Aura to heat yourselves/something up?**

**Ruby: Back at Signal we would always have movie nights where Yang would use her Aura to make the popcorn for us. Besides that, when I was little I would get cold easily, so she would give me hugs to warm me up, although that was before she had Aura training so it doesn't really count. Weiss?**

**Weiss (scoffs): Oh please. Like I would do something as inappropriate as use a team mate's Aura for personal needs. I could understand in your case as you are sisters but not for me. What about you Blake?**

**Blake (blushing with a small smile on her face): You don't want to know... (Ruby and Weiss widen their eyes at the implication while Penny just smiles, not understanding)**

**Penny: All right! Thanks you three! (They leave) If you have any questions that you would like to have answered by the cast of RWBY, send them in by PM or leave it in the reviews. Any and all questions are welcome, so don't feel shy! Until next time, I wish you all a very good night!**

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**Next time, Mission Four: The Vytal Festival - Tournament (Part 1)**


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